Gilan Kurain
Gilan Kurain (ギーラーン・クーリア, Gīrān Kūria) is an Earthland wizard and proud member of the Fairy Tail guild. He is one of the three pillars of Fairy Tail’s team Nova Saber, and is presently working under the employment of the Fiore Royal Guard in a mysterious decade quest with the rest of his team. Highly respected in the wizard community, he has spent his entire life honing his abilities as a wizard and has earned his place as an elite wizard in a prominent guild. His feats as a wizard have earned him the reputation as “'The Gate of Oblivion'” (オブリビオンの門, Oburibion No Mon). While the rank of S-class wizard continues to escape him, his competency as a wizard cannot be understated. His highly disciplined and competitive nature helps him strive to one day achieve the prestigious title. Born into the church, Gilan was raised to join the ranks of the clergy. His latent potential for magic blossomed at a young age, this in turn drew the attention of the church elders who trained and educated a young Gilan through rigorous and grueling trials meant to break and mold him into a loyal sword of the church’s elite military unit. Partial completion of the program yielded a remarkable evolution of his magical abilities; however, Gilan’s actions in the face of a catastrophe led to his excommunication from the church and gifted him the legendary sword, Illyria (イリュリア, Iryuria).'' Forced to wonder the globe in exile, Gilan’s travels lead him to the secluded land of Acheron, where he met Artoria and Cyrus, his closest friends, comrades, and the fellow members of team Nova Saber. Their adventures led them to join Fairy Tail, and they have grown as a team and as wizards hired to complete the most covert operations of the Fiore military. Appearance Gilan is a tall and dignified young man with golden hair dropping down across his forehead. He has been described as handsome with an elegant face, and his eyes, grey as steel, give off a cold luster that makes people wither as they stare into the void. His long, lanky build give him the appearance of a stocky individual, and tales of weary have been spread not to underestimate his strength. He normally wears a white Hurley t-shirt under a black jacket with matching black jeans and leather boots. In combat he, intentionally, removes his shirt to reveal a number of red tattoos on his body that emit pulsating light as he exerts magic power. His lower body apparel is swapped for a shimmering golden armor that is composed of a short Romanesque battle skirt and long armor that connect to his metallic boots. The sheen of his armor bails in comparison to his sword, which when drawn, radiates an all-encompassing pink hue that bleeds into the tattoos on his body. A long metal chain tethered to the end of the hilt can be seen wrapped around Gilan’s arms and shoulders during combat. Personality At opening glance, Gilan is a quite and reserved person. He tends to speak only when spoken to, does not share his opinions out of context, and handles disagreements non-verbally. While apparent, these tendencies are completely dwarfed by the raw level of discipline he exhibits in his everyday life. Gilan may keep to himself, but always maintains a strong presence through the his tangible drive for improvement. He is constantly pushing himself to achieve more than the day before, and he will never be truly satisfied till he embodies the spitting image of perfection. It should be noted, however, that Gilan is never unfriendly towards his comrades. He his aura of discipline inspires strength in all those around them, and he is never slow to offer support or empathy to a teammate in need. The markings of his upbringing have not left this gallant knight unscarred. As a result of the constant betrayal of highly polarized ideals throughout his lifetime, Gilan lacks strong convictions in support of a rigidly defined understanding of morals and ethics. The strongly rooted church preachings of a higher existence can be tapped into only through serenity, spirituality, and enlightenment. These sentiments wrestled with the hard pressed lessons of his nomadic adolescence which were constantly reminding the young wizard of the importance of self-preservation led to no resolution. Betrayed by both sets of ideals, Gilan has adapted a much less aggressive disposition that weighs the complexities of life within the frame of a greater good, albeit never at the expense of his team, his guild, or his own sense of moral duty. Gilan's ideals follow as strict a code as his work ethic, most of which are aligned, or a result of, his deep immersion in the practice of his Nullification magic. The underlying philosophy that stems from the deeper mechanisms of his magic are the Mao-Dun theories of paradox. It is through constant exposure of this methodology that has led Gilan to see the world in contrasting sides, yin and yang. The heads side of a coin is nothing without the tails. Although they can never intersect, neither can exist without the presence of the other, and it is through extension of this logic that Gilan derives his moral beliefs. Order cannot exist without chaos, and in the scope of good vs evil, Gilan may possess the power to protect those closest to him, both concepts exist only through his unique perspective, and true annihilation of one is not possible without the extinguishing of the other. History Early Life The result of a taboo relationship between two clergy members, Gilan was born within the hallow walls of the Zentopian church. Treated like an orphan, he was raised by the nuns and taught the strict principals of Zentopia in order to one day ascend into the practice of its worship as a clergyman. Gilan grew in a structured disciplined environment, shielded from the rest of the world. His bleak upbringing yielded a lonely childhood, filled with nights spent alone in the library, finding solace in the vast aisles of the books the church had to offer. Gilan’s only pleasure was found in reading about the outside world, which both perplexed and inspired him. Weary of the circumstances of his birth, Gilan was labeled as a mistake by the church community and was harassed and ridiculed excessively by many of his peers, and neglected by his superiors. Unaware with how to atone for the sins of his birth, the teachings of the church proved unsuited to rectify the ethical dilemmas Gilan faced in adolescence. The consistency of these interactions led to Gilan never fully accepting the church as his home, and as a result he never truly accepted the fate the church had decided for him. Gilan’s aspirations for greater things led to the flourishing of his magic potential. The fear of further ostracizing from the community led to the exclusive practice of his magic in the shadows. Guided by the knowledge found in the halls of the library, Gilan’s magic was harnessed and refined in secret. His efforts were in vain, however, as his magic power eventually attracted the attention of the elder members of the Legion Platoon, who enrolled the youth in the infamously brutal training program, meant to breed elite soldiers, capable of conducting the highest orders of the church. His progression within the order was nothing short of extraordinary, demonstrating incredible natural ability in combat coupled with creative and effective use of powerful magic arts. The training he endured was rigorous, but it was through this program that Gilan made the first friends he’d ever had. It was during this period of adolescence that Gilan grew into a man. While the progression as a wizard was great, the executive leaders of the Legion Corp feared his lack of loyalty to the church. They saw great value in his magical abilities, but his ostracism from the church community during his childhood never ceased to distance him from the principals and teachings of Zentopia. The Archbishop and his advisors saw the shadows of doubt cast over his loyalties to the church, and, therefore, not fit for conducting the secret operations of the order. Gilan was forced to resign from his training early, and was stationed as a guard of one of the many legendary treasures of the church. However, with friends in his life, Gilan’s return to a life of seclusion could no longer dampen his spirit. The Birth of a Knight Gilan, a young man of 16, stood guard over his post for years, a guard for a mysterious artifact whose presence of which could not be found in any texts, Gilan’s secluded life was made due to frequent visits from his closest friends and comrades, now active members of the Legion Corps, who would stop by the hidden sanctuary after the completion of their objectives. While his devotion to the church had diminished since his ejection from the Legion Corp training program, the visits from these friends helped restore his faith in the teachings of Zentopia, and gave him the motivation to continue his task with the most righteous intentions. These pleasant times were cut short by impending civil war. Over the span of the past year, a radical sect of church followers, led by some of the highest members of the Archbishops advisory board, split from the main body of Zentopia and spread their message of violence around the kingdom of Fiore, bribing dark guilds with legendary treasures, the radicals raised an army of wizards hell bent on chaos and destruction. The Legion Corps was mobilized to combat the radical’s attack on Zentopia sanctuaries, but were overwhelmed by the raw numbers the radicals commanded. Tied to his post like a dog, Gilan watched helplessly as the radical army slaughtered his friends and brethren alike. When the separatist armies came to collect the treasure of young wizards sanctuary, Gilan rose against the hordes and singlehandedly stopped waves of their attack. His motivations were not out of anger or revenge, but more so a burning desire to do right by all his friends who had died protecting the institution that raised him. It was the burning intensity of Gilan’s will for justice that unlocked the seal guarding the sacred treasure of the temple, which bestowed itself upon him. Armed with the legendary sword of Illyria, Gilan unified the remaining military forces within the main body of the church as was able to turn the tide of war, ending the rebellion of the rebels, and restoring order to the world. Praised as a hero by his peers, the celebration of peace was cut short by the elders of the church, who claimed that Gilan had violated the terms of his service to the church by wielding one of the sacred treasures he had sworn an oath to protect. Despite the pleas of those few who sided with the young wizard, the church’s orders were stone, and Gilan was officially excommunicated from the church, forced to roam the continent in exile with nothing more than the clothes on his back and his sword in hand. Life of a Mercenary Upon his banishment from his childhood home, Gilan adopted the life of a mercenary for work. His code of ethics often brought him in conflict with the work he was hired to commit, but he was able to find solace in his travels. His time wondering the world allowed him to continue to train, honing his skills as a swordsman under masters around the world, and developing a unique style of magic in conjunction with the legendary sword he now wielded. After years of wondering the world, a mysterious job led him to the mystical temple of Acheron where he would meet his two teammates, Cyrus and Diana, who would unite in search of purpose and adventure, changing his life forever. Magic and Abilities While he does not hold any official accolade, Gilan is still regarded as a powerful wizard, having completed numerous SS rank and higher caliber missions with his team, Nova Saber. He is one of the few wizards capable of using the rare and powerful Nullification magic with near mastery, proving quite effective in fights against other wizards. Additionally, his signature style of magic stems from the fusion of his Nullification magic with his magic sword Illyria, who's special properties enable creative and interesting ways to channel and enhance Gilan's magical power. These effects include generating magical blasts made of compressed anti-magic energy, as well as using a current of magic power to manipulate the shape and form of the sword itself. Natural Abilities ' : While incredibly distinct in style, Gilan's prowess as a swords man is notorious for its unconventional techniques and surprising results. Having accumulated over a decade of experience through the course of his travels, Gilan's style reflects the eclectic nature of having studied under dozen's of master swordsmen around the world. In battle, the unpredictability of his techniques often prove difficult for his opponents to handle, and coupled with the fluid integration of his magic into his sword work, he has proven more than a challenge for even the finest of magic swordsmen. ''' : A reflection of his sword, Illyria's unique ability to change shape and form in response to a directed magical current has led Gilan to train in the use of a variety of different weapons that extend beyond its use as a simple sword. While not as far honed as his ability with the sword, he has proven proficient in the use of spears, lances, axes, and polearms in close and ranged combat. Enhanced Strength: While his brute strength is nothing extraordinary, his training within the Legion Corps did enhance Gilan's strength to superhuman levels. This strength is mainly demonstrated in combat through Gilan's ability to wield colossal weaponry with ease and precision. Enhanced Agility and Reflexes: Gilan possess a notably high level of agility, and is able to wield long weapons like spears and lances at the same pace as master swordsman wield their blades, allowing for a notable advantage during armed combat. Enhanced Durability: A result of his training within the Legion Corps, Gilan possess an inhuman ability to withstand and tolerate intense physical harm. Additionally, passive aid from his magic allows for a heightened level of magic resistance, allowing him to take powerful magical blasts head on while receiving little physical injury. Enhanced Endurance: Gilan's training has brought him to peak physical condition, and as a result has achieved a great level of stamina that allows for Gilan to fight for extended periods of without rest. Additionally, he has worked to achieve a great level of efficiency within his magic usage, allowing for pro-longed use of magic without depletion of his reserve power. Magical Abilities Magic Nullification Magic (無効の魔法, Mukō no Mahō): Nullification Magic is utilized for nullifying any Magical attacks and discharges it within an area away from the Wizard. This is achieved through the careful release of a pulse of condensed ethernano. It calls upon the theory of Mao-Dun, or paradox, which calls for the impossibility of having an unbreakable spear meet an immovable shield, and thus a contradiction. The discharged of ethernano is condensed into such a concentrated edge, also known as anti-magic energy, that it becomes capable of slicing through the ethernano composition of the opposing spell, breaking the spell and causing a dispersement of the composite ethernano into the air. While Gilan's proficiency in this type of magic is great, his lack of completion of the formal training has prevented him from truly mastering the art. His magic powers lacks the ability to cast nullification spell with in a full 360'° '''sphere. Additionally, Gilan does not have a precise enough level of shape control over the raw anti-magic energy to preform offense spells utilizing shape transformations. These weaknesses have forced for Gilan to compensate with the integration of this practice of magic into the use of his sword work. His signature sword, Illyria was forged out of a special ethernano infused meteorite, and as a result, has a blade whose shape and size can be extensively manipulated through the application of a directional current of magic. The tattoos present on his body provide channels through which magic power can flow, connecting to the similar channels present within the etchings seen on Illyria's blade and allow for Gilan to truly utilize his sword as an extension of himself. Gilan has achieved a level of precision where he can extend the range of his nullification magic around the reformed blade, resulting in a series of powerful anti-magic infused weapons that can be utilized in a variety of combat situations. * Titan's Spear (ランズ・ラディス, ''Taitan ransu): After applying a powerful current of magic power through the magical sword Iyea, the blade of the weapon is than morphed into a giant spear that is wielded for melee combat or thrown as a ranged weapon. The spear's blade is shrouded in anti-magic, giving the lance the ability to pierce through most magical constructs. * Giant's Anchor (神のアンカー, Kami no ankā): The sword Iyea is changed into the shape of a giant anchor, with each edge of the anchor functioning as a separate and powerful curved blades. Both sides of this construct are coated in a shroud of anti-magic energy which grants the weapon the ability to pierce through all forms of magic. * Holy Scepter (聖スパイクメイス, Hijiri supaikumeisu): Gilan forms his blade into a giant spike ball mace that completely covers the space of his body and extends large spikes outward across a 360'° '''radius. The spikes are tipped with an anti-magic shroud that enables the blades to pierce through most forms of magic. * Gungnir's Wrath (グングニル怒り, ''Gunguniru ikari): One of the two ultimate spells in Gilan's arsenal, who molds his blade in the image of the massive celestial pike, Gungnir, the divine weapon handled only in legend by the mightiest Gods. This gigantic pike radiates energy, and is launched at the enemy as a projectile; however, the caster has complete control over the angle and trajectory through which the weapon is fired. This projection is shrouded in anti-magic energy, and as a result is immune from being blocked by dispelled by defensive spells. * Fury of the Divine Oblivion (神の忘却のフューリ, Kami no bōkyaku no fu~yūrī): The second of the two ultimate spells in Gilan's arsenal. The caster transforms the Illyria sword into a massive, armored Kirin, capable of homing onto enemies and annihilating long range targets with incredible accuracy. This weapon can be fired over incredible distances, and is able to successfully hit targets miles away from the caster. This projection is shrouded in anti-magic energy, and as a result is immune from being blocked by dispelled by defensive spells. Sword Magic (剣の魔法, Ken no Mahō): Gilan wields the legendary sword, Illyria. Through its magical properties, Gilan can channel nullification magic through the special blade of the legendary sword in order to the radius of the blade, forming an incredibly poweful, whip-like, melee weapon capable of dispelling all forms of magic and yield concussive force. Requip (換装, Kansō): Like all members of the Nova Saber team, Gilan has the ability to requip his sword with relative ease and agility. Trivia * The creation of this character were inspired by the idea of creating a hero with the powers and magic of traditional villains. The concept of Annihilation is often abused by the antagonists of epic stories and I was curious to imagine how those same weapons would work in the hands of a hero. * The all photos used were taken from Zatch Bell! manga or the Fate/Stay Night anime. Category:Nullification Magic User Category:Sword Magic User Category:Fairy Tail Guild